Ink cartridge with overflow conduit

Abstract

A fluid cartridge, such as a cartridge for filling with ink for use in ink jet printhead includes a housing enclosing a wick chamber, the housing including a top wall. The housing also includes an ink chamber. A fluid conduit connects the ink chamber and the wick chamber. The outer surface of the top wall of the housing is formed with a recess. A vent opening through the top wall of the wick chamber, at the recess, provides communication between the wick chamber and the recess. A covering over the top surface of the housing encloses the recess. An outlet opening through an outer wall other than the top wall of the wick chamber provides fluid communication for the ink to flow from the wick chamber. One end of an overflow tube is in fluid communication with the recess in the top wall of the housing. The other end of the overflow tube opens to the ambient environment at another point on the exterior of the housing near the outlet opening so that the potential “wet” spots on the exterior of the cartridge are in the same area.

What is claimed:  
     
       1. A fluid cartridge for supplying fluid on demand, the cartridge comprising: 
       a housing having a plurality of walls defining an interior chamber;  
       a vent opening through one of the housing walls providing fluid communication into the interior chamber;  
       an outlet opening through one of the housing walls providing fluid communication into the interior chamber; and  
       a fluid conduit having a first end near the vent opening and having a second end near the outlet opening.  
     
     
       2. The fluid cartridge of claim  1 , wherein: 
       one of the housing walls is a top wall;  
       the vent opening is through the top wall; and  
       the outlet opening is through one of the housing walls other than the top wall.  
     
     
       3. The fluid cartridge of claim  2 , wherein one of the housing walls is a bottom wall, and the outlet opening is through the bottom wall of the housing. 
     
     
       4. The fluid cartridge of claim  2 , wherein the fluid conduit comprises: 
       a recess in an outer surface of the top wall adjacent the vent opening; and  
       an overflow tube having a first end at the recess, and having a second end near the outlet opening.  
     
     
       5. The fluid cartridge of claim  1 , wherein one of the housing walls is a top wall, and the fluid conduit comprises: 
       a recess in an outer surface of the top wall adjacent the vent opening; and  
       an overflow tube having a first end at the recess, and having a second end near the outlet opening.  
     
     
       6. The fluid cartridge of claim  5 , wherein the recess surrounds the vent opening. 
     
     
       7. The fluid cartridge of claim  5 , wherein the second end of the overflow tube is on the housing wall having the outlet opening. 
     
     
       8. A cartridge for supplying ink on demand to an ink-jet printhead, the cartridge comprising: 
       a housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a plurality of side walls all defining a housing interior;  
       a vent hole through the top wall of the housing, providing fluid communication into the housing interior;  
       a recess in an outer surface of the top wall of the housing, wherein the recess extends from the vent hole to an edge of the top wall, wherein the recess has a recess depth; and  
       an overflow tube extending from the recess at the edge of the top wall along one of the side walls of the housing.  
     
     
       9. The fluid cartridge of claim  8 , additionally comprising an outlet opening through the bottom wall of the housing, wherein the bottom wall is substantially opposed to the top wall. 
     
     
       10. The fluid cartridge of claim  9 , wherein an end of the overflow tube is on the bottom wall of the housing. 
     
     
       11. In a cartridge for an ink-jet printhead, the cartridge comprising a housing enclosing an interior chamber, the housing having a vent opening and an outlet opening, a method of controlling ink that flows from the interior chamber through the vent opening, the method comprising: 
       containing the ink that flows from the interior chamber through the vent opening; and  
       directing the contained ink from the vent opening to a point near the outlet opening.  
     
     
       12. The method of claim  11 , wherein the step of containing the ink comprises allowing the ink that flows from the interior chamber through the vent opening to flow into a recess in an outer surface of the housing. 
     
     
       13. A cartridge for supplying ink on demand to an ink-jet printhead, the cartridge comprising: 
       a housing having a top wall, a bottom wall substantially opposed to the top wall, and a plurality of side walls all defining a housing interior;  
       a vent hole through the top wall of the housing, providing fluid communication into the housing interior;  
       an outlet opening through the bottom wall of the housing;  
       a recess in an outer surface of the top wall of the housing, wherein the recess extends from the vent hole to an edge of the top wall, wherein the recess has a recess depth; and  
       an overflow tube extending from the recess at the edge of the top wall along one of the side walls of the housing, wherein an end of the overflow tube is on the bottom wall of the housing, proximate the outlet opening.  
     
     
       14. The fluid cartridge of claim  13 , wherein the recess surrounds the vent opening. 
     
     
       15. In a cartridge for an ink-jet printhead, the cartridge comprising a housing enclosing an interior chamber, the housing having a vent opening and an outlet opening, a method of controlling ink that flows from the interior chamber through the vent opening, the method comprising: 
       containing the ink that flows from the interior chamber through the vent opening, including the step of allowing the ink that flows to flow into a recess in an outer surface of the housing; and  
       directing the contained ink that flows into the recess from the vent opening to a point near the outlet opening, including the step of flowing the ink through an overflow tube having one end in the recess and the other end near the housing outlet opening.